Obligatory Author's Note

     This is a small section/introduction of my Big Huge Weird CCS fanfic. The basic background is: there is a world, a sort of parallel universe, of magic, that partially overlaps our world. This world is inhabited by magical animals, as well as 'spirits,' typically human-like beings similar to Yue.

     The spirit world is wild, untamed natural land, with the exception of the Palace, a large building complex where the spirits live when they are in the spirit world. Far to the southwest of the Palace is a dead, rocky land where Darkness dwells.

     To travel between their world and ours, the spirits use water-gates—these gates exist wherever there is water. Passage between the world can also be achieved by going through the fera-world, the universe between ours and the spirits'. This universe is an expanse of nothingness, and is inhabited by the fearsome ferae-umbrarum. These begins exist as a hive mind, and attack all who cannot outrun them. Those who have been attacked by the ferae did not survive…

     That's all for now :}.

     Birth, for a spirit, is little more than the knowledge that you have come into being…or so I've been told. In their world I am an outsider, the only one to experience the pain of being forced into existence; that is, of course, with the exception of a certain sun-spirit, who is better remained unmentioned. But even he did not experience the isolation I did. He knows what being a spirit means. I do not. I never will completely understand, no matter how long I live. I am a spirit, but then again, I am not. I am the creation of a wizard arrogant, and powerful, enough to challenge the spirits…he is hated for that even still. Yet he was my closest friend, and I loved him dearly…even though it cost me something that could never be retrieved…even though it scarred me so deeply I put a wall around my heart, never again to let myself love or be loved.

     For the others, coming into being is a smooth transition. So smooth that many of them never realized they were alive for hundreds of years. It was not so easy for me. The first thing I felt when I came into the world was pain. Pain so blindingly bright that I could do nothing but lay there for the longest time, listening to the deafening noise around me. Bright light pierced my sight; I tried to close my eyes, but that did little to change the brightness. My joints ached, my head spun, for the first and probably only time in my life, I felt nauseous. Then, pain like two knives burying themselves in my shoulders caused me to arch my back violently; I do not remember crying out but I have no doubt that I did. The knives sliced down my shoulders, through newly-formed muscle and tendon and bone, burning like a fire from hell. The pain then suddenly shot out from my shoulders; I could feel the light and noise and pain forming into something new. I did not understand what was happening. But I did feel the tears of pain that ran down my cheeks.

     Slowly the pain faded away. The air became dim, cool, and quiet. I felt my aching body slowly sink to the ground, landing softly in cool, damp grass; the moon shone comfortingly above me, and all I felt then as I looked up at it was an aching in my heart, a longing to go back to the moon. I started to reach for it, to pull it closer, but I collapsed in exhaustion and soon fell into a deep darkness that covered me completely.

     I woke only when I sensed someone standing over me. Slowly I lifted my head, turning my stiff body so I could see him. He was a rather imposing sight, standing there in the moonlight, which glinted coldly off his glasses. All I could see was that he had long black hair, which fell gently on the shoulders of his black robe. We looked at each other for a long time… I tried to hold myself steady as the repercussions of my creation made my body shake and my vision blur…

     "You are Yue." His voice was calm and rich… I slipped further into my delirium….

     Some how I answered, "Yes." How did I know that? I was Yue...the moon…the moon… I looked up at the sky again. I wanted to go back…to the warmth of the moon…

     I did not remember anything after that.

     I felt sick...dizzy...my joints were stiff with pain... I felt soft clothes covering my body, and I slowly forced myself to open my eyes... I was in the black-cloaked man's house, that I was sure… I did not know what my life would have in store for me in the next few years…